When I turned 25 years old last July, the first thought that went through my head was, “Damn! Now Leonardo DiCaprio will never date me!”
Though I was being ironic about my specific chances with the “Titanic” star and Oscar winner, I was not joking about the 48-year-old’s proclivity for dating young women and, essentially, teenagers. It’s such a well-known fact that Leo hasn’t publicly dated anyone over the age of 25 that it’s even become an internet meme:
white smoke has emerged from the chimney atop north hollywood high school, signaling that leonardo dicaprio has chosen a new girlfriend
— Bob Vulfov (@bobvulfov) August 30, 2022
However, I think enough is enough. On January 31, DiCaprio was spotted at a party in Los Angeles with 19-year-old Israeli model Eden Polani, sparking rumors that the pair are dating. There has been no confirmation of this fact, but if it’s true, all I have to say is: Leonardo DiCaprio, leave that teenager and all other non-age appropriate women alone! Dating women who are significantly younger than you creates an unbalanced power dynamic in your favor. Stop being gross and, frankly, predatory.
While it’s unclear whether or not DiCaprio and Polani are officially dating (as of last December, he was still dating 23-year-old model Victoria Lamas), here’s what we definitively know about Eden: She signed to Israel-based modeling agency ITM, was on the cover of Glamour Bulgaria, has 212K followers on Instagram, participated in an Israeli anti-bullying campaign and, once again, is 19 years old.
Eden is also Jewish, having grown up in a household with one religious parent and one secular parent. As for herself, she appears to lean on the more religious side. On Instagram, she stated that the person who inspires her most is “God Almighty” and that her biggest fear, other than cockroaches, is to lose her faith, which stabilizes her. There are also unconfirmed reports circulating that she gave up a job to work at New York Fashion Week because she keeps Shabbat.
Notably, DiCaprio has been romantically tied to a Jewish Israeli model in the past. From 2005 to around 2009, DiCaprio dated Bar Refaeli. At the time, he was 31 and she was 20.
Ultimately, Eden is absolutely not to blame if they are actually dating. She is, I repeat again for dramatic effect, ONLY 19 YEARS OLD. I wish her the best and can only hope that she will find love with someone who is not 29 years her senior.
